Control valve



Oct. 25, i949@ Mv. E. Ram.

CONTROL VALVE Filed Sept. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l aNvEm-OR Maig/ffm l Q l fr, l"-

l ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 25, 1949 CONTROL VALVE William E. Brill, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September 4, 1944, Serial No. 552,669

Claims.

The present invention generally relates to control valves and more particularly to improvements therein whereby the valve seats are easily replaced.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a control valve which may be easily removed and installed in fluid tight relation within a cavity of a rotary member and provided with a readily replaceable resilient valve head on the valve stem which is operable by fluid pressure or by engagement of mechanical operating means.

Another object is to so form the resilient valve head so that it closely conforms to a suitably formed cooperating seat element to prevent wear and leakage therebetween.

The novel features of the invention by which the above objects are attained will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and drawings illustrating two forms of valve assemblies for use interchangeably in a rotary sealing device for which these valve assemblies are particularly adapted.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a partial longitudinal cross sectional view of the rotary seal with parts broken away to show the mounting details for the Valve assemblies.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view similar to Figure l with parts broken away to show details of one form of valve assembly to better advantage.

Figure 3 is an enlarged View similar to Figure l with parts broken away to show details of another form of valve assembly.

Figure 4 is a view taken on lines l--li of Figures The valve assembly shown in the openings 9 in the valve ring 'l in Figures 1 and 3 includes a sleeve 2i having an externally hanged inner end portion 23 of slightly less external diameter than the opening 9 and is shown in engagement with an internal shoulder 25 at the bottom of the opening 9 of the valve ring l. The outer face of the hanged inner end portion of the sleeve 2l is inclined inwardly with respect to the opening 9 and an outer reduced diameter portion adjacent the ilanged end is provided with slots 2l extending radially therethrough. A valve housing or cage 29 of hollow cylindrical form having at its outer end an external mounting flange 3l provided with suitable openings 33 therein, shown in Figure 4, through which studs 34 extend and are threaded into suitable openings in the valve ring in order to draw the inner face of the flange 3i into tight Contact with the face 35 of the valve ring so that the inner portion 31 of the cage part extends into the opening 9 in the valve ring and over the outer slotted portion of the sleeve 2 i. The inner end face of the hollow cylindrical portion 3l of the cage part 29 is provided with an end face 39 which is inclined outwardly with respect to the opening 9 in the valve ring 'i and is axially spaced from the oppositely inclined face 2l of the sleeve 2i. A resilient sealing gasket il is located in the space between the oppositely inclined faces 2i and 39 of the cage and sleeve so that the gasket is compressed therebetween when the cage 29 is drawn into contact with the face 35 of the valve ring 'l and is accordingly expanded outwardly into tight contact with the 2 and 3. 35 wall of the valve ring opening 9 to effectively pre- The rotary seal for which the valve assemvent fluid leakage between this wall and the cage blies were developed includes a split stationary and sleeve. An internal flange t3 is provided on seal housing l having suitable cavities including the cage 29 and is provided on its inner face with split synthetic rubber sealing members 3 shown a tapered annular valve seat surface Lili. engaging the periphery of a drive shaft on which 4o A valve stern 155 is provided with an enlarged a split valve ring 7 is clamped for rotation by the diameter outer end portion 41 which is slidably shaft. The valve ring l is provided with circular mounted in the cage 29. The outer end portion valve cavities or openings 9 extending parallel to il of the valve stem has a wear plate 49 secured the drive shaft and part way through the ring. to the outer end face. This wear plate is prefer- An opening Il is provided in the stationary seal i5 ably made of sintered bronze and the outer end housing I to which a pipe i3 is connected through wear surface is slightly spherical in form. The which pressure is applied to and released from periphery of the wear plate is provided with radial the interior of the housing. Pressure passages l5 slots 5l which are aligned with holes 53 extendextend radially inwardly from each of the valve ing axially through the enlarged outer end poropenings 9 and a counterbore is provided at the 30 tion 4l of the valve stem l5 and best seen in Figinner end of the passages i5 in which a resilient ures 3 and 4. An external flange 55 is provided gasket l'i is located so that when the valve ring on the valve stem d5. The inner face of the flange is clamped to the shaft 5 the radial openings i5 55 is concave and a resilient annular valve head of the ring are connected in fluid tight aligned l, preferably of synthetic rubber and having an relation with radial shaft openings i9 which open 55 outer convex surface, is compressed between the into an axial shaft passage, not shown, for the inner concave surface of the valve stem flange application of fluid pressure to a fluid expansible and the outer surface of a collar 59 held on the clutch member, not shown, carried by the shaft inner end of the valve stem by a castellated nut to cause engagement of the clutch in a well til threaded thereon and locked thereto by a key known manner. 60 63 extending through a diametral hole in the valve stem. The collar is slidably mounted in the slotted portion 21 of the sleeve 2l. The outer face of the collar is shown provided with an annular groove of V form which is adapted to engage a surface of complementary form provided on the inner face of the resilient seat 51 in order to cause the resilient head to engage the periphery of the valve stem and concave surface of the flange 55.

The valve stem l5 is urged outwardly of the opening s in the valve ring 1 by a helical compression spring 55. The outer end of the spring is in contact with a counterbore in the collar 59 and the inner end is supported in a cup 51 supported in a recess at the bottom of the opening 9 in the valve ring so that the resilient valve head 51 on the valve stem is also compressed between the tapered seat lll on the cage part 3l and the collar 59 and due to the convex outer surface of the resilient head 51 and the cooperating surfaces of the head and collar the resilient head is also caused to conform closely to these surfaces and also to the concave surface of the flange 55 and peripheral surface of the valve stem to effectively prevent leakage of fluid between all of these surfaces.

It will be evident that with the above described valve assembly and mounting thereof in the rotary valve ring 1 when pressure is applied to the pipe i3 fluid pressure will enter the seal housing l and be applied on the resilient valve stem head 51 through the slots 5i and holes 53 in the outer end of the stem l5 to cause unseating of the valve and allow pressure to pass through the slots 21 in the sleeve 2l and from the valve ring opening 1 through the radially extending holes l5 and I9 in the valve ring and drive shaft 5 and through the axial shaft hole, not shown, to the fluid pressure expansible clutch, not shown, to cause clutch engagement. When the pressure in the clutch is equal to that in the cavities of seal housing l the spring will cause reseating of the valve to prevent flow of pressure from the clutch and disengagement thereof and the valve assembly accordingly serves as a check valve to permit the venting of pressure from the interior of the housing I to prevent eX- cessive wear on the sealing members 3 therein.

Pressure operated means are provided in the housing l for causing unseating of the valve to cause reverse flow of pressure through the valve from the clutch to cause disengagement thereof. The pressure operated means comprises a piston 59 provided with a flexible sealing cup 1l slidably mounted in a cavity 'l2 in an end cap 13 of the stationary seal housing l, as best illustrated in Figure 1. A piston rod is connected to the piston and is slidably mounted in an axial bore in the housing l. A circular plate 11 is located in the seal housing l adjacent the enlarged end of the valve stems i5 and is normally biased by a suitable spring, not shown, out of contact therewith. The plate 'l1 is provided with peripheral slots 19 through which the inner end of the piston rod 'l5 extends and to which a screw having an enlarged diameter head 8l is threaded. The head 3l of this screw engages the plate 11 to cause movement of the plate into engagement with the spherical face of the wear plates 5l of the valve stems 55 to "cause unseating of the valves upon the application of pressure to the piston B9 through a pipe connection 83 threaded in pressure openings 35 and 31 in the housing I behind the piston 69. It will be evident that the plate 11 engages the center of spherical portions of the valve stem wear plates 49 which revolve with the rotary valve ring 1 and accordingly there is no tendency for the valve stem to spin about its axis in the valve cage parts and therefore no rotary movement of the resilient valve stem head 51 relative to the head 44 of the cage part 29 occurs which prevents wear zbetween these parts.

The form of valve assembly shown in Figure 2 differs from the form described above only in the following details and this form of valve assembly may be interchangeably mounted in the openings 9 in the valve ring 1 in the same manner as described above. This assembly includes a hollow cylindrical cage member 29 provided'with circumferential sealing grooves in which resilient sealing rings 89 are located which engage the inner periphery of the valve ring opening 9 to effectively prevent leakage of fluid when the valve cage mounting ange 3l is drawn into engagement with the face 35 of the valve ring by studs in the same manner as with the other form of valve. The cage member 29 is provided with the same formof valve seat llfl and the valve stem assembly is the same as that previously described except for the collar 59 holding the resilient valve head 51 on the valve stem 45 in like manner. The collar 5G' is provided with axially extending peripheral slots 9i for passage of fluid therebetween when the valve is unseated and the periphery of the collar 59 is slidably mounted in the inner end portion of the cage member 29.

The operation of the form of valve assembly shown in Figure 2 is'similar to that previously described except for the passage of air through the slots SI in the collar 59 in the valve shown in Figure 2 instead of passing through the slots 21 in the cage part 2l in the valve shown in Figures l and 3. The form of valve assembly shown in Figure 2 includes vfewer parts with simpler sealing means between the cage part and valve ring.

I claim:

1. A valve mechanism comprising a rotatably supported drive shaft having a fluid passage, a stationary housing mounted in vluidsea-ling engagement with said shaft, said housing having a fluid opening and enclosing a member secured to said shaft and having a fluid opening communieating with said shaft passage and the interior of said housing, a valve cage having an internal valve seat of tapered annular form, said cage being mounted in fluid tight relation in the fluid opening of said member, a valve stem supported for axial movement in said cage, said stem having a spherical end projecting outwardly of said cage and a flange intermediate the ends thereof, a replaceable `head of non-metallic, elastic, deformable material on said valve stem, a collar on the inner end of said stern having an annular V- shaped groove in the outer face adapted to engage a complementary surface provided on the inner face of said valve stemhead which is provided with a convex surface on the outer face, means on said stem for maintaining said deformable head under compression between said stem flange and said collar to cause said .deformable valve stem head'to be normally held in iiuld tight engagement with the periphery of said valve stem and the flange thereon, means in said member opening urging said collar outwardly `thereof to also cause deformation and therefore fluid tight engagement of the convex surface of the valve stem head with the tapered seat of the valve cage and means movable axially-with respect to said stem into engagement with a point on'the outer spherical end of said stem located on the stem axis to move said deformable head inwardly off said cage seat.

2. A valve mechanism comprising a rotatably supported shaft having a fluid passage, a stationary fiuid seal housing mounted in fiuid sealing relation on said shaft, said housing having a fluid opening and enclosing a member secured on said shaft, said member being provided with a fluid opening communicating at one end with the shaft passage and the other end extending parallel with the axis of said shaft and communicating with the interior of said housing, a valve cage having an internal annular tapered valve seat mounted in uid tight relation in the outer end of said member opening a valve stem slidably mounted in said cage having a flange intermediate the ends thereof, a replaceable oil resistant rubber valve head of annular form having a convex surface on the outer face adapted to engage the tapered seat of the cage and flange on said stem, a wear plate secured on the outer end of the valve stem and having an outer end surface of spherical shape, a collar on the inner end of said stem having an annular V-shaped groove in the outer face adapted to abut a complementary surface provided on the inner face of said valve head, means on the inner end of said Valve stem for urging said collar into engagement with said valve head to cause the head to conform to the peripheral surface of the stem and the convex head surface to conform to the surface on the flange, resilient means for normally urging said collar outwardly of the cage member to cause the convex surface of the valve stem head to be deformably engaged with the tapered annular seat of said cage and to urge the outer spherical end surface of the valve stem wear plate outwardly of the cage and means axially movable toward and into contact with the outer spherical wear plate of the valve stem at a single point located on the axis of said stem whereby only axial inward movement of said head away from the seat on said cage occurs.

3. A valve mechanism comprising a rotatably supported shaft having a fluid passage, a stationary housing mounted in fluid sealing relation with said shaft, said housing having a fiuid opening and enclosing a valve supporting member removably secured to said shaft, said valve supporting member having a uid opening therein communieating with the interior of said housing extending parallel to the shaft axis and a passage leading from the opening communicating with the passage in said shaft, an axially movable valve operating plate adjacent said member, a valve cage having an internal annular seat removably mounted in the opening of said valve supporting member, a valve stem having an outer end supported for axial movement in said cage, a wear plate of sintered bronze on the outer end of the stem and provided with a spherical outer surface, a flange on said stem intermediate the ends thereof, a replaceable valve head of oil resistant rubber on said stem engageable with said ange, a collar engageable with the valve stem head, and means on the inner end of said stem to cause the surfaces of said valve head to conform to the surfaces on said stem and collar, said collar being slidably mounted on the inner end of said cage, and a spring in the opening of said valve supporting member for urging said valve head into contact with the seating surface on the cage to conform thereto and also for urging the outer spherical surface of the valve stem wear plate outwardly of the cage for sliding contact with the valve surface of the operating plate only at a point on the axis of the Valve stem upon sufficient inward movement of the plate so that only axial inward movement of said head away from the seat of the cage occurs.

4. A valve mechanism comprising a rotatably supported drive shaft having a fluid passage therein, a stationary housing mounted in fluid sealing engagement on said shaft, said housing having a fluid opening and enclosing a valve supporting member secured on said shaft and having a valve cavity therein communicating with the interior of said housing and said shaft passage, a valve cage in the cavity having an internal valve seat, a valve stem slidable in the cage having an outer spherical end, an external flange, a resilient head and means on the valve stem for cornpressing said head to cause the resilient head to conform to the surfaces of the stem and, stem flange, spring means in said cavity for urging said stem outwardly thereof to cause said head to conform to said cage seat and also to cause the outer spherical end of the stem to project outwardly of the cavity, and a valve operating plate movable into non-rotating sliding contact with the outer spherical end of the valve stem only at a point on the axis thereof in order to cause only axial movement of the resilient valve stem head away from the seat of the valve cage.

5. A valve mechanism comprising a rotatably supported shaft having a fluid passage therein, a stationary split housing mounted in fluid sealing relation on said shaft and having a fluid opening and enclosing a split rotary valve supporting ring having cavities in one face thereof, each cavity communicating with the shaft passage and the interior of said housing including a valve cage supported in uid tight relation therein and including a valve seat and, a valve stem slidable in each cage and provided with a spherical outer end portion and an external flange, a resilient head and a collar on the stem, means for compressing the resilient head between the flange and collar to prevent leakage of uid thereby, and a spring for urging the collar outwardly of the cavity to cause the resilient head to conform to the cage seat, and valve operating means including a plate movable into axial point contact with the spherical outer ends of each of the valve stems to move the stems axially inwardly of the cages only in order to separate the valve stem heads from the cage seats and thereby prevent rotation and wear therebetween.

WILLIAM E. BRILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 657,107 Hannifln Sept. 4, 1900` 1,175,172 Oakley Mar. 14, 1916 1,274,680 Calvert Aug. 6, 1918 1,301,278 Labus Apr. 22, 1919 1,774,690 Willoughby Sept. 2, 1930 1,863,252 Pierce June 14, 1932 1,948,279 Schidman Feb. 20, 1934 2,011,547 Campbell Aug. 13, 1935 2,233,717 Shogran Mar. 4, 1941 2,310,309 Orr Feb. 9, 1943 2,401,061 Fawick May 28, 1946 Certificate of Correction Patent N o. 2,485,692 v October 25, 1949 WILLIAM E. BRILL It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: f

Column 3, line 6, for seat 57 read head 57,- line 21, for the Word head, first occurrence, read seat; column 4, line 6, for head 44 read seat 44; column 5, line54, after opening insert and; column 6, Ime 38, after housing7 insert and; line 40, "Y strike out and after seat,

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Olce.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of June, A. D. 1950.

[sun] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

